Award for Global Engagement

Through her prodigious policy exchange work, Dr. Sabine Engel has brought together key stakeholders from a variety of sectors across Minnesota and Germany to increase international collaboration, showcase the University of Minnesota’s important role in helping lawmakers understand global policy issues, and actively create change.

The policy exchanges began with a health policy exchange Dr. Engel organized while director of the German Academic Exchange Service (known as DAAD) at the U of M. The success of the first program led to the creation of a new policy exchanges focused on renewable energy and workforce development. Each policy exchange is comprised of U of M faculty, Minnesota state lawmakers, and German policy leaders.

Outreach is a key component, as Dr. Engel actively shares the results of each policy exchange with the greater University and Minnesota communities. She is co-instructor for two study abroad sessions focused on energy exchange partnerships, she offers community forums sharing the results of the exchanges, and she has engaged Twin Cities Public Television to create two education programs highlighting lessons learned from the renewable energy policy exchanges.

Dr. Engel holds close ties with renewable energy policy leaders in Germany. Her work continues to receive support from the German government because of their desire to understand what is happening with renewable energy in Minnesota and across the United States. As a result of her work engaging Minnesota lawmakers in the exchanges, solar electric power in Minnesota has expanded.

Throughout the course of her career, Dr. Engel’s collaborative approach to solving some of the world’s biggest challenges has resulted in concrete action and served as an inspiration to others. Her work continues to serve not only the University community, but also the state, the country, and Germany.